Daniel Goleman Theory of Emotional Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Daniel Goleman Theory of Emotional Intelligence Essay The cognition ability among humans is as varied as their physical abilities. However, one apparent fact is that they all possess some similar characteristics. Psychologists have often tried to understand humans by studying their behavior and explaining it in terms of sense cognition. As such, it has been argued that the way a person perceives and interprets his physical world, described and exhibited in behavior, is determined by intelligence. However, psychologists are not yet agreed on the exact definition of intelligence even though there are some agreed upon attributes that can be attached to the concept. The ability to comprehend complex ideas, handle situations effectively and reason is varied among humans. It is recognized that this variation is substantial but never consistent as an individual will exhibit different intellectual performance on different occasions. The concept of intelligence is thus aimed at rearranging and clarifying these complex phenomena. There has been progress with regard to rearranging and clarifying these complex phenomena even though they still do not command universal assent. Psychologists have often focused on cognitive aspects on their analysis of intelligence. In other words, emphasis has always been laid on such aspects like memory and problem solving skills. However, some psychologists recognize the importance of non-cognitive aspects in analyzing intelligence. In his definition, David Wechsler identifies such factors like rationality, purposeful action and ability to handle the environment effectively as the main features of intelligence. In his early works, Wechsler identified non-intellective as well as intellective aspects. By intellective and non-intellective aspects, he was referring to social, personal and affective factors. (Wechsler, 1940: 444-445) He further held that the possibility of success in life is dependent upon non-intellective abilities. In recent past, a new aspect has emerged with regard to intelligence and this has been motivated by the need to explain how emotions and thought impact on each other. It is thus in the interest of this paper to look at this aspect of intelligence which has gained prominence in the field of psychology. This new aspect is what has been referred to as emotional intelligence. In this paper, I will look at the development, theories and elements of emotional intelligence. What is Emotional Intelligence: Background The term emotional intelligence was coined by Salovey and Meyer in 1990. When they coined this term, they were well aware of the previous work by other psychologists on non-cognitive aspects of intelligence. In their description of emotional intelligence, Salovey and Meyer viewed it as the ability of an individual to guide his or her thinking and action through monitoring his or her feelings and emotions (and those of others) and compare them against his own. As such, they considered it a form of social intelligence. The study in this field of social intelligence emerged as a result of research in the field of cognition and affect. Research in this area also gained prominence as a result of works by other psychologists who pointed out that there could be a cognitive connection between mood and judgment. These psychologists suggested that there could be a possibility that when a person gets happy, for instance, he is bound to cognitively judge his past positively thus elevating his moods further. On the other hand, bad moods lead to negative thoughts thereby increasing or worsening the condition. Robert Zajonc (1980) suggested that in determining attitudes, feelings played a bigger role than cognition. His argument was that it is feelings which paid attention to the physical world. This view emanated from an empirical conception of human life. It is a widely held position that it is the senses that is responsible for feeding the brain with information for interpretation. This on the other hand affected or is affected by moods and memory. The influence of mood on memory was examined by Gordon Bower who described an activation model of memory. He observed that happy moods influenced happy thoughts while on the other hand, sad moods influenced sad thoughts. (Bower, 1981) According to him, if one was in the state of happiness, he is bound to view his past social actions positively which in turn stimulates positive thoughts. On the other hand, if one is sad, he is bound to view his past as a series of failures within the social realm thereby increasing his sadness. As such, the state of mind influences attitude and cognition. This analysis by Bower helped in the comprehension and explanation of many empirical aspects of emotional intelligence. Much contribution in the field of emotional intelligence was brought by Clerk and Fiskes Affect and Cognition. A departure from research on the interaction between emotion and cognition was marked by the study of emotion and thought by social, personality and cognitive psychologists. The concept of defense mechanism by Sigmund Freud even though put emphasis on the pathological factors, also recognized and emphasized on the interaction between thought and emotion. The view that emotions prejudiced and disrupted thought was inherited when the cognition and affect literature surfaced. The idea that emotions and thought caused biasness went hand in hand with the idea that emotions could be adaptive for thought. This went on as inquiries into emotions and thought diverged from an emphasis on psychopathology to normal everyday thoughts and moods. The result was the idea that intelligence and emotions can integrate to perform complex information processing that either cannot manage independently. This was the development of the concept of emotional intelligence. Salovey and Mayer in their attempt to develop accurate and valid measures of emotional intelligence initiated a research program which was also meant to explore its significance. Daniel Goleman recognized their work which led to his formulation of the theory of emotional intelligence. Theories of Emotional Intelligence There is a general conception that emotion and intelligence are two distinct concepts which cannot integrate. As such, the term emotional intelligence appears as a contradiction. However, emotions often convey messages which can be processed. That is, they signal relations. This assumption makes the term sensible. Philosophers have often inquired into the nature and meaning of emotions and came into a conclusion that they define the relationship between an individual and other members of the society. As such, every emotion defines an individuals relationship with himself and his relationship with others. There is a universality and regularity in the meaning of emotions. Comprehending the universal meaning of emotions was adopted by cognition and affect researchers. A system which defined joy as a positive feeling which comes after an assurance that an action will be rewarded and relief as a positive feeling which points to the absence of punishment was outlined by Roseman (1984). A similar approach was taken up by Ortony, Clore and Collins (1988) which defined joy as a â€Å"well being† emotion which comes as a result of self reaction to desirable occurrence. Emotional intelligence can be fragmented into four branches of abilities. These include perceiving and expressing emotions, integrating emotions in thoughts, comprehending and managing emotions. All these are important in the overall theory of emotional intelligence. Perceiving Emotions Accurate perception is the first step in emotional information processing. The system of emotional perception is a product of evolution built through time so as to facilitate communication between parent and child. The child therefore learns emotions from the mother. For instance, when the infant smiles, her mother reflects back the kind of face associated with smiling which in this case is contracting the cheeks muscles. As a person grows, he learns to generalize patterns of how emotions are manifested in the physical realm which includes objects, artwork and even other people. For instance, a person may associate a relaxed shouldered posture with calmness. Emotional integration After the perception of an emotion, it has the capacity to influence cognition at various points of processing. Emotional integration thus focuses on the contributions that emotion makes in the reasoning process. Various suggestions have been put forward on how emotions may facilitate cognition. According to Easterbrook (1959), Mandler (1975) and Simon (1982), emotions provide an impulse to prioritization. (Tad. In John D. Mayer, Emotions, Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence. p. 420) For instance, someone in deep concentration in say, a movie is oblivious of the surrounding environment, even the couch he is seated on. Nonetheless, he may experience a growing sense of anxiety and on hearing the voices of children outside; he realizes that he is supposed to be in a psychology class. The interrupting anxiety to some extent is a second processing system independent of the central cognitive system. As such, it enables cognition to direct resources to a problem until and unless a competing response emerges. Another way through which emotions help cognition is by functioning as a secondary store about emotions themselves. For instance, if an artist wants to paint suffering, he reflects back on an experience or scene of suffering and recreates the feeling. The act of mood cycling or mood switching is another way through which emotions contribute to intelligence. Cognitive system is often refreshed by mood alterations. These mood alterations have a consequence of bringing various emotional tools to handle a particular problem. According to Mayer, a shift in judgment through increasing motivational direction may enhance functioning. (Ibid. 421) A cycling of moods also provides different perspectives on a subject or problem thereby enhancing creativity. Mood can also assist intelligence by providing implicit information on past experiences. As such they act as references in decision making processes. For instance, one may have some facts on a given event but still would not be in a position to choose which of his alternatives is best for him. As such, he reflects back on his feelings towards those alternatives. Emotions thus summarize these past experiences. Comprehending Emotion The closest branch to traditional intelligence is understanding emotions. The hypothesis is that there exists a mental processor whose main function is to understand, abstract and reason about emotional data. Labeling feelings and understanding what they represent are just but part of this processing. For instance, one may label a feeling love. As such, he or she recognizes that love reflects upon relationship with other people. Emotion Management This is the final branch to emotional intelligence model. It involves the management of emotions for personal development and growth. For instance, an informative emotion enables one to gather information about his environment, especially the social environment, if one opens himself for such information. People open to sadness will best understand the painful conditions which man has to grapple with in the course of existence. This also enhances the good in the sense that one may not be in the position to appreciate blessings if he doe not understand the difficulties in life. For instance, after sacrificing ones time to study hard, he may achieve happiness when he graduates with a first class honors. However, openness is not the end of management. The knowledge gained from perceiving, integrating and understanding emotional dispositions must be put into practical use in order to maximize emotional management. In other words, it is through perceiving and understanding emotions that one knows the consequences of experiencing them or blocking them. The theory has left open the way in which emotional intelligence manage emotions. Intelligence enables one to explore and evaluate possibilities with their own goals in mind. Even though one may hope that many people manage their emotions well, emotionally intelligent individuals at times manage their feelings negatively. Discussion The foundations of the new theory of emotional intelligence are based on the field of cognition and affect. As inquiries were made on how thoughts were altered by emotions by cognition and affect researchers, a shift emerged from the clinical researchers who emphasized on how thoughts were pathologized by emotions. Normalization of such phenomena was started by the cognition and affect researchers who who found them in everyday human behavior. The focus of emotional intelligence was thus how emotions and intelligence facilitate each other mutually in order to create a high level of emotional information processing and a higher level of thought. A model of emotional intelligence was formulated which viewed it as a form of intelligence mainly concerned with processing emotional signals related to relationships. As such, emotional intelligence is concerned with the capacity to consider emotions rationally for better management. Measuring Emotional Intelligence The assessment of intelligence is done entirely by ability tests. As observed earlier, theoretical model construction and measurement procedures are involved in the development of emotional intelligence. Individuals who take ability tests are subjected to relevant mental tasks within a controlled environment. This is meant to measure their optimum mental performance. However, the examination of many different skills which may be tied to intelligence is a requirement for the establishment of intelligence. This is so because the existence of intelligence is based upon the intercorrelation between skills which also develop with age. The Value of Emotional Intelligence When people are confronted with setbacks or failure, they tend to make some causal attributions. Optimists tend to make external attributions that are temporary and specific while pessimists make internal attributions which are universal and permanent. This is according to learned optimism construct developed by Martin Seligman. In a research carried among salesmen by Seligman and his colleague, they found that optimistic new salesmen sold more insurance in their first years than the pessimistic ones. When the company hired another group of individuals who failed normal screening but scored high on optimism, the made more sales than the pessimists by 21 per cent. (Schulman, 1995). an aspect of emotional intelligence which has exhibited much success is the ability to handle stress and manage feelings. Tests of Emotional Intelligence According to Goleman, even though entry level executive positions require technical skills and IQ, high emotional intelligence is an integral part of high performance leadership. A simple emotional test based on theories by Goleman can help identify emotional intelligence and leadership. As such, one may establish his emotional intelligence through the use of emotional intelligence test so long as it is based firmly on emotional intelligence theory. A happier and more balanced lifestyle can be achieved by an awareness of ones emotional abilities which may also help in improving his emotional intelligence. Rating of ones ability to regulate his emotions in a balanced and healthy manner can be achieved through emotional intelligence tests. After the completion of the test, an individual is in a better position to comprehend his greatest emotional strengths and weaknesses which enables him to evaluate his aptitude in every emotional category. Emotional intelligence theory is also important in identifying the emotional intelligence of a child which provides abase for emotional intelligence training. Developing emotional intelligence skills require that one is in a position to identify his emotional intelligence strengths and weaknesses. References Bower, G. , H, (1981) Mood and Memory. American Psychologist. 36, 129-148 ed. John D. Mayer, Emotions, Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence. p. 420 Goleman D. (1995) Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Mayer, J. Salovey, P. Choosing a Measure of Emotional Intelligence: The Case for Ability Scales. In R. Ban-On Handbook for Emotional Intelligence. Guilford Wechsler, D. (1940) Non intellective Factors in General Intelligence, Psychological Bulletin, 37, 444-445 Zajonc, R. , B. , (1980) Feeling and Thinking: References Need No Inferences. American Psychologist, 35, 151-175

Hospitality Management: A Literature Review

Hospitality Management: A Literature Review Hospitality industry with regard to restaurant businesses in any country has become one of the biggest employers in every country. It has attained a higher status in all over the world and demands high standards of works from its employees. Employment opportunities are many in this industry, but require potential for personal qualities in each field. One of the many important things that an employer looks for among the many would be the keen attitude, friendly disposition, neat appearance, willingness to work, confidence, cleanliness, personal hygiene, efficiency, and honesty. Like in the Philippines, tourists act one major role in our hospitality industry as tourists serves as the main market for restaurant services. They make sure in a restaurant that a guest is attended and dealt with their needs or wants. Filipinos are very polite and courteous in making sure those tourists/guests who dine and stay are well entertained. As we speak, competition is huge in this industry that is why raising quality standards and improving service have always been their job to provide a better service. **Reference: An In-depth study on hotel and restaurant industry in the Philippines by Dr. Divina Edralin** (1.2) Restaurants have primary function on food and beverage. They are to provide food and drinks to the customers. Whether it is a small- or large-sized restaurant, there is a great diversity in the types of activities performed by a food and beverage department, requiring significant variety of skills on the part of its workers. Most full-service restaurants do a considerable convention and catering business. The typical convention uses small function rooms for meetings and larger rooms for general sessions, trade shows, exhibits or banquets. It is only through continuous cooperation and coordination that a restaurants food service function can be carried out effectively. Marketing and sales department on the other hand play a very important role in a restaurant business, in which their primary responsibility is to sell and attract customers on how good their products are. The division of work among the sales managers is based on the type of customers a restaurant is attempting to attract. The human resources department serves no customers, yet it plays a vital role in a restaurants efficient operation. They are the brains on employees recruitment, benefits, administration and training. They are expected to recruit, interview and screen prospective employees. In many restaurants, accounting department combines staff functions and line functions or those functions responsible for servicing guests. Their role is to record financial transactions, prepare and interpret financial statements, and provide the managers of other departments with timely reports of operating results. The most assets of an organizational design are efficiency, teamwork and coordination of activities within individual units. Success of every business not only by a restaurant is measured on its overall performance and not by the performance of one department alone, which I believe it demands strong leadership, initiative, cooperation, and coordination to achieve every goal and become successful. Reference: Pre-Feasibility Study for Restaurant Making by Wrexgler Mongaya/Pre-Feasibility Study on a Fast-Food Restaurant (SMEDA). (1.1) When asked about the business climate in the Philippines, entrepreneurs agreed that it is relatively easier to start a business here compared to other countries. They say it was less restrictive here in Manila. The lack of self-esteem is one, among others that hinders a lot of Pinoys to even start a business. For very small capital, anyone could easily try to make it on his own. Historically, restaurant referred only to places that provided tables where one sat down to eat the meal wherein the restaurant prepares and serves food, drink, and dessert to customers that were typically served by a waiter. They vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of cuisines and service models. There are various types of restaurant, be it a fast-food chain where one orders food at a counter while fine dine-in or sit-down restaurants are often further categorized as family-style. Restaurant industry has different approach with diversity on their products/services, food, drinks, accommodation any many others. When putting up a restaurant, the owner has on his/her mind what to present to the customers, that is why the diversity of each products and services depends on what restaurant business you have put up. Food is one of our basic needs. One of the most exotic food there is available is the Asian cuisine. Asian food, in all its hues and tastes, is becoming largely popular and well-liked by many Westerners. When compared to food in American and European continent, foods in Asia tend tends to stand out because of its diversity. Vast number of countries in Asia offer endless varieties of food, far from each other. Indian food, for example, has a wide array of cuisines to try out and it would take several lifetimes for even a food lover to taste and savor it all. Another one is the Far East. It is where the best example of Asian food is located like the Japanese and Korean cuisine and Asian cuisine is supposed to be predominantly rice-oriented but if we observe Chinese dishes use noodles in their dishes, instead of rice. In reality, each country in the region of Asia like the Philippines has its own unique cuisine, vastly different even from the cuisine of surrounding regions. Competition is part of this business. Reference: Pre-Feasibility Study for Restaurant Making by Wrexgler Mongaya /Pre-Feasibility Study on a Fast-Food Restaurant (SMEDA) 2 As of last year, there are more than 50,000 restaurant establishments in the  domestic economy and about 80% of them belong to the fast food sub-sector. Food franchising is extremely popular. There are over 1,500+ franchised quick serve restaurants, 24 casual dining and theme restaurants, and 600 coffee shops, bakeries, and confectioneries. And the numbers are still growing! U.S. based firms also have a very strong presence in the Philippine food franchising industry. To name a few, we have McDonalds, Shakeys, A&W; Burger King; Dominos; Kenny Rogers Roasters; KFC; Pizza Hut; Sbarro; Subways; Wendys; California Pizza Kitchen; Hard Rock Cafe; Outback; TGIF; Italiannis; Dairy Queen; Dunkin Donuts ; Haagen-Daz; Mrs. Fields; Orange Julius; Starbucks. Low barriers to entry characterize the industry. Capital investments  particularly for franchises can range from PHP5,000,000 to PHP10,000. Training,  marketing and distribution channels are arranged by the franchisor. Likewise, as  the franchisor provides the new entrant fully developed management and  production systems, prior knowledge and experience are not required of  franchisees. These characteristics of franchising, particularly of food  establishments, make the business very attractive for new entrepreneurs. The proliferation of one-stop shopping malls that offer various recreational  facilities and amenities, likewise, eases the entry of potential restaurant and fast  food players. These malls spare the restaurant industry from spending extensive  business development studies for their outlets; mall magnates Henry Sy and  John Gokongwei Jr. have established formidable track records in building malls. The industry in which the restaurant and fast food firms operate has  increasing consumer demand for every improving product. The growth is proven  by the rapid expansion of food outlets in key areas in Metro Manila and the  provinces. The popularity of fast food establishments came in the 1980s, and  over the last years, the industry has consistently posted double-digit growth  rates. Competition is fierce in the restaurant industry, particularly the fast food  sub-sector. The market is large but consumers are price conscious and exhibit  brand loyalty. With a wide range of restaurants and fast food establishments to  choose from, pricing schemes and marketing strategies determine market  shares. Market strategies of industry players, therefore, aim to achieve two  primary objectives: 1) hammer in value-for-money concepts; and 2) create  brand consciousness and loyalty. Market shares in the restaurants are won or lost in pricing. Industry  players regularly offer price cuts and discounts to lure in new customers. Moreover, major players invest heavily in advertising to create brand  consciousness and loyalty. Marketing strategies include raffle draws, free gift  items and specially prized meal combinations, discounted toys and school items  for every certain minimum food purchase. Celebrity endorsements are used in  the hopes that the market will identify with the endorser. 3 Likewise, intense competition urges players to come up with new products  to capture bigger market shares. Restauranteurs have to be keen at finding the  latest food and wine concoctions here and abroad and adapting them to local  taste. Targeting the Filipinos tastebuds, several fastfood chains that usually  serve only western food have introduced items that appeal to the local markets  palate. Raising quality standards and improving service have also been focal  points of competition, particularly in the fast food sub-sector. Players give  incentives and compensations to motivate employees to be efficient on their jobs  and thus help maintain the fast food outlets high standards of quality service and  cleanliness. Also, a major importance in a fast food and restaurant is courteous  and friendly personnel. Not surprisingly, speedy service is among the more  salient attributes people would highly expect from a fast food restaurant. Finally, to keep their share of the market, food chains find it necessary to  extend their service coverage by setting up other branches. Industry players who  have outlets that are visible in Metro Manila and in other key urban cities are  ones who are most likely to take in more profits. Malls, university areas, and  other places where there is heavy pedestrian traffic are the usual places where  fast food and restaurants are highly patronized. Restaurant and fast food industry players balance their marketing  concerns with the rising operation costs particularly that of imported food  ingredients. Profit margin erosion is usually remedied by either increasing prices  of final product/service or cut corners in production or the delivery of service.   Either solution may result in a shrinking customer base. Reference: Feasibility Study for Restaurant Making by Wrexgler Mongaya (1.3) People First Size and Scope of the Sector The sector covers 14 industries from hotels and restaurants through to events, gambling and travel services. There are approximately 146,000 individual hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism  business enterprises in Great Britain, of which 43 percent are pubs, bars and  nightclubs and an additional 34 percent are restaurants. The sector is dominated by small and medium sized enterprises (71 percent). However, they account for only 53 percent of the workforce. Businesses with over 250 staff account for less than one percent of businesses  but employ 43 percent of the workforce.   Productivity The sector has the lowest labour productivity of any sector in the UK economy,  with a similar service sector (retail) having double the labour productivity of the  sector. It lags behind its international competitors. Labour productivity is nearly a third  higher in the United States and nearly double in France compared to the rates  found in the UK sector. Workforce The sector employs close to two million people. The restaurant is the largest industry in terms of employment, employing over  half a million people (32 percent of the workforce), followed by pubs, bars and  nightclubs (18 percent) and hotels (14 percent). The sector has an important presence across the UK. However, England has  the greatest share of the sectors workforce (83 percent). The sector employs a young workforce with 15 percent of staff aged 16-19 and a  further 31 percent aged 20-29. 14 percent of the workforce are from ethnic minorities, higher than average  across the whole economy. 55 percent of the workforce are full-time staff. One in five (20 percent) of the sectors workforce are from overseas. This rises  to 62 percent in London. Core Occupation The sector employs both a large number of core occupations (specific to the sector) and  additional occupations (found in most sectors). The following provides employment  numbers for the sectors core occupations: Kitchen and catering assistants (394,600) Chefs and cooks (255,100) Bar staff (197,800) Restaurant and catering managers (148,200) Hotel and accommodation managers (57,700) Publicans and managers of licensed premises (46,900) Travel consultants (47,500) Leisure and theme park attendants (17,900) Travel and tour guides (15,900) Conference and exhibition managers (23,700) Hotel porters (11,300) Travel agency managers (9,000) Hard to fill vacancies and skill shortages 17 percent of sector establishments report having vacancies, 32 percent of which  are hard-to-fill   66 percent of these vacancies are hard-to-fill because applicants lack the  required skills. In terms of skills that employers find difficult to obtain from applicants, 50 percent  of employers report that applicants lack customer handling skills, 47 percent say  team working skills are lacking, 43 percent oral communication skills and 39  percent believe applicants lack problem solving skills. Labour turnover Labour turnover for the whole sector stands at around 31 percent (although large  employers sometimes report double or even treble this figure). Based on an average recruitment and initial training cost of  £673, this costs the  sector  £414m per year. However, only 17 percent of employers feel that their labour turnover is too high. Skills gaps 11 percent of the workforce do not hold any qualifications. 12 percent of hotel and accommodation managers, seven percent of restaurants  and six percent of publicans and managers of licensed premises have no  qualifications at all. At the skilled trade level, ten percent of chefs have no qualifications. 26 percent of businesses in the sector report they have staff who are not fully  proficient to meet the needs of their business compared to 19 percent across all  businesses. Training and development The proportion of employers offering training rose from 61 percent in 2005 to 66  percent in 2007 and stood at 68 percent in 2009. As regards training methods, employers most commonly offer informal training to  their staff with introductory/induction training also frequently available. Large operators are much more likely to provide training. Employers are most likely to provide training to supervisors followed by bar and  waiting staff. Housekeepers, room attendants and cleaning staff are least likely  to receive training. Industries covered Events, Food and service management, Gambling, Holiday parks, Hospitality services, Hostels, Hotels. Membership clubs Pubs, bars and nightclubs, Restaurants, Self catering accommodation, Tourist services, Travel services, Visitor attractions. (1.3) Reference: www.people1st.co.uk/research/ Last Updated: September 2010 British Hospitality Association The BHA is the leading representative organisation in the hospitality industry, representing hotels, restaurants and food service providers.   Aim to deliver real returns for the members, positively championing the industrys priorities through partnerships with government and with other associations and organizations. This organization identified five keys areas on which they will impart the role to lead the industry action and drive change namely: First the Economy- to champion a supportive fiscal environment for the industry to prosper in the context of global competition. Second, Employment- to bridge the gap between education and industry and to build a skilled workforce for hospitality. Third, Intelligent regulation- advising government to reduce the burden of costly regulation at national and local levels. Fourth, is the Sustainability- facilitating an industry-led effort to develop economic, social and environmental success in the short and longer term. Lastly, Health- proac tively shaping industry and public sector policy to enhance the wellness of our consumers. In brief, BHA aim is that, through combined efforts, the association can bring tangible, long-lasting, positive benefits to every members business. Reference: www.bha.or.uk/ hospitality industry (2.1) Restaurant Staffing and Structures The restaurant business is hierarchical. Like the army, everyone has a title and a role to play. Busboys and dishwashers are at the bottom, while managers and Executive Chefs are at the top. The staffing structure will depend on the concept of the restaurant. A coffee shop will not have an Executive Chef nor a Sommelier (wine manager) To run a successful restaurant they should be a staff for both the kitchen and the dining area. If its a large establishment it will require more staff in both areas. The kitchen requires a head chef to organize and oversee food production. A sous chef to take care of the kitchen when the head chef is off shift. Line cooks to do the cooking and plating. Prep cooks to make sure the kitchen is fully prepared for whatever situations may come up. A dishwasher to do the dishes and work on pealing vegetables. The dining area requires bus people to clear and set tables. Waitresses to take orders from the customers to the kitchen and deliver the prepared food. A front end manager to help deal with any problems and do the immediate supervising of the waitresses and bus staff. (2.2) All staff are responsible for the health and safety of the customers. Host/Hostess: responsible for greeting customers at the door, monitoring how many people are seated where and balancing the workload of the wait staff, tracking reservations and people waiting in line, and seeing customers to their seats 7 making sure they have menus. Oversees wait staff. Wait staff: responsible for ensuring the table is clean and set with clean utensils in the proper configuration, greeting the customer at their table in a timely fashion, ensuring the customers have drinks and time to decide on their order, taking that order accurately and conveying it to the kitchen. Responsible for monitoring their tables and ensuring their customers always have drinks and are generally happy; responsible for getting food from kitchen when its prepared and getting it to the customers, and presenting it without spilling it or touching customers unless necessary. Responsible for ensuring all meals are satisfactory to the customer, then getting out of their way while they eat. Responsible for coming back to clear the table when customers are done eating and asking if the customers want anything else; wash, rinse repeat until customer asks for bill. At that time wait staff are responsible for ensuring that the ill is accurate before presenting it to the customer. Cook: Inspects the kitchen prior to beginning cooking to ensure its up to standard regarding food safety guidelines, inspects all food items before use for any sign of cross contamination or spoilage, prepares food in accordance with food safety preparation guidelines to include cooking temperatures and times and presents food on the plate in a generally pleasing fashion. Oversees dishwashers. Dishwashers: responsible for making sure every piece of cutlery and flatware and cooking equipment is cleaned with the right amount of cleanser at the right temperature for the right length of time to maintain hygiene and prevent transmission of disease. Janitorial staff: responsible for overall hygiene of restaurant much more important than most people give them credit for, a good set of janitorial staff can keep a restaurant up to health code and prevent serious lawsuits by maintaining the restaurants standards of cleanliness. Most restaurants do not have this as a separate position, and include these duties in those of the wait staff without providing extra training. Manager: ensures all personnel are doing their job, counsels personnel on areas in which they are excelling and areas in which they need to improve, hires and fires as necessary, monitors customer satisfaction and handles all paperwork to include ensuring building is up to all safety codes and standards. Responsible for staff morale and overall restaurant productivity; may be responsible for advertising placement. Reference: restaurant.about.com (3.1) The biggest operational issue in foodservice over the next few years is how to lead and develop a multicultural and multigenerational workforce. According to J. Sullivan, as he tackled the industry issues, 40 percent of all restaurant employees are less than 25 years of age, and 28 percent of them do not speak English at home. And all of these will depend in terms of hiring, recruiting, performance and training. Todays food service and restaurant industry is a highly specialized world with unique legal needs. To survive in todays economic climate, savvy restaurant and business operators seek counsel from experienced lawyers before issue arise. Like, restaurant entity management training and related legal issues specific to the restaurant industry, manage food and beverage licensing and distribution agreements, franchise agreements and supplier contracts also assist those owners with the purchase and sale of existing restaurants, lease negotiations, and risk management, then assist with a variety of employment issues ranging from management training to employment disputes. The Restaurant Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) is commonly used to help most restaurant owners and managers to manage and guide the overall restaurant team and staff to increase the service performance and the overall objectives and goals of the business. If a restaurant does not have a proper training manual or SOP for the staffs, it is quite hard to deliver the highest service standards of what the customer needs and what they do expect to the restaurant. A good and well-managed restaurant should provide a routine training session to all of the staffs covering each restaurant operations technique, it can be weekly or bi-weekly training programs. By conducting several training programs, I am definitely sure it can be much easier for a restaurant business to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of restaurant service operation. Once again, to make it simple and easy to understand As a new legislation in restaurant franchising, many people stating that seeing nutritional information in print next to the menu items will help them opt for healthier choices. However, others admit that it will make no difference to their menu choices .But for the consumers, they mostly appear to be in favor of the new legislation. In the UK, the government has announced that it will trial calorie counts for food sold in takeaways, restaurant franchises and canteens. It is seeking volunteer companies to display calorie content listings and believes that the rest of the industry will quickly follow suit once a standardized guide is agreed. (3.2) To sum up, there are few numbers of women managers in UKs hospitality industry especially in the restaurant business due to some factors involve in the process historical, traditional, societal, and even personal in nature. Regardless of other factors, the theoretical frameworks underlying the subject are dependent on the responsibility of every woman employee. Their efforts to reach the position that they deserve must be acknowledge by employers. They indeed possess a significant position in the corporate ladder. With this, men and women workers will definitely be equal. 9 Its not uncommon to change the image of an existing restaurant completely. This may be because of new owners, or perhaps the current owner simply wishes to change things up. If the restaurant hasnt been doing well, it might be time for a makeover. Start with a plan. Take time to work out all the details and everything will go smoothly like from paint colors to seating designs. Once you have a plan, you can simply work from the list. Do a market research, before making a decision for change, make sure to do a survey or other means of investigation to figure out just what people like and whether or not they will want the change. It can cost a lot of money to do research, but it will still cost less than changing everything to find there is no market for it. Research is very essential to any business and restaurants are particularly in need of it. Also, let your clients know. Changing image can cause people to feel insecure and uncomfortable if they dont know its happening. So, make sure it should be included in the marketing strategy. Advertise the restaurant is going to be new and improved and let people know why it will be better and what they can expect. This is particularly true if drastic changes will happen not only to the image, but also to the menu. Furthermore, changing the entire image of the restaurant can really affect the business, so take the time to think it through first. Market research to make sure that what is actually been doing is to be a better idea. Reference: restaurant-hospitality.com TASK 4 Food is very much a part of popular culture, and the beliefs, practices, and trends in a culture affect its eating practices. Popular culture includes the ideas and objects generated by a society, including commercial, political, media, and other systems, as well as the impact of these ideas and objects on society. Current Eating Trends Consumerism , a trend that is reflected in more people eating away from home; the use of dietary and herbal supplements; foods for specific groups (e.g., dieters, women, athletes, older adults); the use of convenience and functional foods; and ethnic diversity in diets. Mainstream populations in developed countries want low-calorie, low-fat foods, as well as simple, natural, and fresh ingredients. Internationally, there has been an Americanization of diets through the growth and use of fast-food restaurants and convenience foods . In developing countries there is still a need for some basic foods, and governments and the food industry are working to develop products that can reduce international food shortages and nutrient deficiency problems. Eating Away from Home Internationally, the proportion of money spent on food eaten away from home, as well as the number of restaurants, has been steadily increasing since the second half of the twentieth century. People may dine at formal, sit-down restaurants, at fast-food eateries, at cafes, or they may purchase food from street vendors. Fast-food restaurants have become very common, and are visited by all types of people. The growth and popularity of fast food has come to be known as the McDonaldization of America. Eating in these restaurants has decreased slightly among heavy users in the 18-34 age group, but has increased among other groups. Their popularity has also increased internationally. This simple meal demonstrates the complicated relationship between a culture and its food. In the twentieth century, there has been a preference for quick, portable meals popularized the fast-food burger. Over time the popularity of fast foods contributed to an epidemic of obesity. Many eateries now offer the option of larger serving (portion) sizes for a nominal additional fee (a super size). Eating away from home, and the shift to a more sedentary lifestyle , has been linked to the increasing rates of obesity. Dieting In an effort to lose weight people purchase weight loss pills; special herbal supplements; and formulated weight loss drinks, foods, and diet bars. People also join health clubs or spas, or buy special weight loss and exercise equipment, in an effort to lose weight and improve their health. Among the common types of diets people follow are food-focused, celebrity, exchange, and supplement-based diets. Food-focused plans, such as the grapefruit diet, the banana diet, or a wine drinkers diet, emphasize consumption of only one, or a few, foods. Celebrity plans generally have the backing of a celebrity, and exchange plans lump together into food groups items with similar calories, carbohydrates , proteins, and fats. Some diets incorporate a commercial meal, snack bar, food, or beverage that must be purchased. Supplements Pills, liquids, or powders that contain nutrients and other ingredients are now readily available in stores. Supplements that contain herbs (or some herbal components) are growing in popularity. However, supplement production and use is not always well regulated, so consumers must be careful about what they purchase and consume. Convenience Foods To satisfy individuals who want to eat well at home but are short on time or do not want to prepare elaborate meals, many eateries also offer take-out meals or items. Fully or partially prepared TOTE (take-out-to-eat) foods, including home-delivered meals, are generally referred to as convenience foods. As more women (the traditional preparers of family meals) enter the labor force, peoples desire to save time increases along with the use of convenience foods. Ethnic Foods People now eat foods with origins in cultures other than their own. Since the late twentieth century, however, there has been an increased incorporation of ethnic cuisines into diet, including foods from Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. This trend is part of a larger movement toward diversity in all aspects of life. Functional Foods The term functional food is often used in reference to foods that have nutrients (or non-nutrients) that might protect against disease. The term is used when referring to foods that have been fortified , have specific phytochemicals or active microorganisms added, or have been developed using genetic engineering techniques. However, all foods can support health in some way, and there is no legal definition of functional food. In addition, the actual benefit of these foods, if any, can vary and is open to interpretation. For example, both a candy bar and orange juice may have additional calcium added, and can therefore be called functional foods. The consumer must determine the benefit of such items. 12 Reference: www.fags.org/nutrition/ome-pop/popular E-recruitment means using information technology (IT) to speed up or enhance parts of the recruitment process. It can enhance the applicant experience, communicate the employers image and culture better, make the recruitment process faster, more accountable and standardised, increase the diversity of applicants, provide better management information on applicants and find the right E candidate for the job. E-recruitment is efficient and can produce cashable savings, such as reduced advertising spend or postage costs and non-cashable productivity gains as HR staff are freed up to carry out higher value tasks.

Steel Plant EAF Electrical System :: essays research papers

The modern steel plant receives low current, high voltage power from the generators of the electrical utility company. The purpose of the steel plant primary transformer is to step-down this voltage. The transformer thus provides high current, low voltage power for the EAF furnace. Large furnaces with transformers rated at 100MVA or higher is not uncommon. There are usually two stages to this process. The transformer first steps-down the voltage from high to medium levels. There are different standards for a â€Å"medium-level voltage† in different countries; usually between 30 to 33 kV for Europe and Japan, but for the USA it is usually 34.5 kV. Finally, a heavy duty furnace transformer powers the EAF. This special furnace transformer is designed to allow the electric arc to operate within the desired current and voltage range. To safeguard the EAF electrical system from the primary power supply are two types of switches: a vacuum switch and a motorized disconnect switch. These two switches are designed to isolate the EAF electrical system from the primary transformer in case of an emergency. Other electrical systems around the EAF are the delta closure, the power cables, the current conduction arm, and the electrode holders. The power cables provide a connection between the delta closure and the current conducting arm. It is usually made of copper wires, with a rubber water jacket around the outside for water-cooling the cables. The power cable is connected with the current conducting arm, usually made of copper clad steel or aluminum alloys. This system weighs a lot less than the old bus-bar design that a lot of the older furnaces used. The current conducting arm conducts current directly from the power cable to the electrode holders. The electrode holders must withstand thermal cycling (not so much for our furnace, since our furnace should have a continuous feed) and severe mechanical loading and wear due to vibrations, torsion forces and such.

Theme of Suffering in Musee des Beaux Arts by W.H. Auden Essay examples

A poem is a great way to express your feelings as well as get your point across. Each poet tells their story but sometimes it isn't so easy to figure out what it is trying to say. There are occasions where you have to break that poem into pieces and figure the story behind that selection. These individual pieces come together like a puzzle to teach you the lesson it intended to teach. The different pieces in the poem we read can give you a general idea of suffering, the idea that people undergo pain and distress. In the poem 'Musee des Beaux Arts' by W.H. Auden it is under that suffering occurs everywhere while not always seen, however, when seen everyone is apathetic. Within the poem, Auden makes a reference to the Greek myth of Icarus. Icarus falls to his watery grave after flying to close to the sun. ?First the fisherman, shepard and the farmer are on the scene at the time of Icarus? fall, not as he and Daedalus simply soar overhead like gods?. (Ruby Mary K & Marie Rose Napierkowski: 154-155). This line tells us how three men saw them flying as if they were gods. is that the ?failure? of Icarus is of little importance to these living and laboring, that, as a German proverb states, ?No plough is stopped for the sake of a dying man? (Ruby Mary K & Marie Rose Napierkowski: 154-155). As this quote describes the three men did not stop what they were doing to help Icarus who was dying. Two of the men did not see Icarus suffering so they went along with their lives, but the fisherman saw Icarus struggling as the water entered his lungs. The fisherman went along with his life and just let Icarus die. Later on in Auden?s poem he states that . The expens ive delicate ship that must have seen something amazing, a boy falling out of t... ...f the canvas? (Ruby Mary K & Marie Rose Napierkowski: 154-155). In this painting Jesus suffers as he drags the large cross to his execution. Besides for their own comfort there was a reason to kill Jesus. He endured pain and suffering throughout his whole journey. From all of the people in the painting you can see that there were people who witnessed his suffering, but they were withheld from helping by the torturer and ?the torturers horse?. Breughel painted ?human position? and ?how it takes place?. Each of his three paintings depicts W.H Auden?s idea of people and their relationship with suffering. W.H Auden?s ?Musee des Beaux Arts? there are many allusions to others suffering. These examples all help to support the moral of his poem. Suffering is all around us, yet we still do nothing to stop it. This illustrates his point by showing ignorance in all people.

The Alamo :: essays research papers

Originally named Misià ³n San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years. Construction began on the present site in 1724. In 1793, Spanish officials sectioned off San Antonio's five missions and distributed their lands to the remaining Indian residents. These men and women continued to farm the fields — once the mission's but now their own — and participated in the growing community of San Antonio. In the early 1800s, the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the former mission. The soldiers referred to the old mission as the Alamo (the Spanish word for "cottonwood") in honor of their hometown Alamo de Parras, Coahuila. The post's commander established the first recorded hospital in Texas in the Long Barrack. The Alamo was home to both Revolutionaries and Royalists during Mexico's ten-year struggle for independence. The military — Spanish, Rebel, and then Mexican — continued to occupy the Alamo until the Texas Revolution. San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. In December 1835, Ben Milam led Texian and Tejano volunteers against Mexican troops quartered in the city. After five days of house-to-house fighting, they forced General Marà ­n Perfecto de Cà ³s and his soldiers to surrender. The victorious volunteers then occupied the Alamo — already fortified prior to the battle by Cà ³s' men — and strengthened its defenses. On February 23, 1836, the arrival of General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna's army outside San Antonio nearly caught them by surprise. Undaunted, the Texians and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo together. The defenders held out for 13 days against Santa Anna's army. William B. Travis, the commander of the Alamo sent forth couriers carrying pleas for help to communities in Texas. On the eighth day of the siege, a band of 32 volunteers from Gonzales arrived, bringing the number of defenders to nearly two hundred. Legend holds that with the possibility of additional help fading, Colonel Travis drew a line on the ground and asked any man willing to stay and fight to step over — all except one did. As the defenders saw it, the Alamo was the key to the defense of Texas, and they were ready to give their lives rather than surrender their position to General Santa Anna. Among the Alamo's garrison were Jim Bowie, renowned knife fighter, and David Crockett, famed frontiersman and fo rmer congressman from Tennessee.

My First Job and First Salary Essay

I had the best feeling of my life when i got my first job and that i put as my most happiest and memorable moment of my life. I do still remember the date and time. For a middle class family girl getting a job is a big thing in life. After i got my offer letter from the i called my MOM first and she was so happy with the news, that was the day when i made my parents proud. I was more happy and satisfied that day and feeling of joblessness and insecurity gone from my mind. Those days i was so doubtful regarding job since me and my classmates were struggling for job. Everyone of us were trying hard but Biotechnology jobs are comparatively lesser than IT jobs. From my childhood i was very passionate about lifescience { May be i was so poor in Maths that i didnt have any other choice } Then came my first day at office, It was really different feeling again. From college to company. In college we wont have much tensions or pressure or deadline and you are totally independent of your ways. But professional life was very different. It was more or work, meeting deadlines and continuous learning and implementing those. There was lot to learn in professional life. Though it took few weeks for me to get adjusted with company culture and learning the work i need to do and mingling with my colleagues, but it was good experience. then came a day for which all employee waits â€Å"The Salary Day†. My first salary.. Though i bought materialistic things for my family with mhy first salary but it was real satisfaction for me and for them too. I was then INDEPNDENT girl. Though it seem simple but these experience are great and memorable.

Angels Demons Chapter 1-5

1 High atop the steps of the Pyramid of Giza a young woman laughed and called down to him. â€Å"Robert, hurry up! I knew I should have married a younger man!† Her smile was magic. He struggled to keep up, but his legs felt like stone. â€Å"Wait,† he begged. â€Å"Please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As he climbed, his vision began to blur. There was a thundering in his ears. I must reach her! But when he looked up again, the woman had disappeared. In her place stood an old man with rotting teeth. The man stared down, curling his lips into a lonely grimace. Then he let out a scream of anguish that resounded across the desert. Robert Langdon awoke with a start from his nightmare. The phone beside his bed was ringing. Dazed, he picked up the receiver. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"I'm looking for Robert Langdon,† a man's voice said. Langdon sat up in his empty bed and tried to clear his mind. â€Å"This†¦ is Robert Langdon.† He squinted at his digital clock. It was 5:18 A.M. â€Å"I must see you immediately.† â€Å"Who is this?† â€Å"My name is Maximilian Kohler. I'm a discrete particle physicist.† â€Å"A what?† Langdon could barely focus. â€Å"Are you sure you've got the right Langdon?† â€Å"You're a professor of religious iconology at Harvard University. You've written three books on symbology and – â€Å" â€Å"Do you know what time it is?† â€Å"I apologize. I have something you need to see. I can't discuss it on the phone.† A knowing groan escaped Langdon's lips. This had happened before. One of the perils of writing books about religious symbology was the calls from religious zealots who wanted him to confirm their latest sign from God. Last month a stripper from Oklahoma had promised Langdon the best sex of his life if he would fly down and verify the authenticity of a cruciform that had magically appeared on her bed sheets. The Shroud of Tulsa, Langdon had called it. â€Å"How did you get my number?† Langdon tried to be polite, despite the hour. â€Å"On the Worldwide Web. The site for your book.† Langdon frowned. He was damn sure his book's site did not include his home phone number. The man was obviously lying. â€Å"I need to see you,† the caller insisted. â€Å"I'll pay you well.† Now Langdon was getting mad. â€Å"I'm sorry, but I really – â€Å" â€Å"If you leave immediately, you can be here by – â€Å" â€Å"I'm not going anywhere! It's five o'clock in the morning!† Langdon hung up and collapsed back in bed. He closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep. It was no use. The dream was emblazoned in his mind. Reluctantly, he put on his robe and went downstairs. Robert Langdon wandered barefoot through his deserted Massachusetts Victorian home and nursed his ritual insomnia remedy – a mug of steaming Nestle's Quik. The April moon filtered through the bay windows and played on the oriental carpets. Langdon's colleagues often joked that his place looked more like an anthropology museum than a home. His shelves were packed with religious artifacts from around the world – an ekuaba from Ghana, a gold cross from Spain, a cycladic idol from the Aegean, and even a rare woven boccus from Borneo, a young warrior's symbol of perpetual youth. As Langdon sat on his brass Maharishi's chest and savored the warmth of the chocolate, the bay window caught his reflection. The image was distorted and pale†¦ like a ghost. An aging ghost, he thought, cruelly reminded that his youthful spirit was living in a mortal shell. Although not overly handsome in a classical sense, the forty-five-year-old Langdon had what his female colleagues referred to as an â€Å"erudite† appeal – wisps of gray in his thick brown hair, probing blue eyes, an arrestingly deep voice, and the strong, carefree smile of a collegiate athlete. A varsity diver in prep school and college, Langdon still had the body of a swimmer, a toned, six-foot physique that he vigilantly maintained with fifty laps a day in the university pool. Langdon's friends had always viewed him as a bit of an enigma – a man caught between centuries. On weekends he could be seen lounging on the quad in blue jeans, discussing computer graphics or religious history with students; other times he could be spotted in his Harris tweed and paisley vest, photographed in the pages of upscale art magazines at museum openings where he had been asked to lecture. Although a tough teacher and strict disciplinarian, Langdon was the first to embrace what he hailed as the â€Å"lost art of good clean fun.† He relished recreation with an infectious fanaticism that had earned him a fraternal acceptance among his students. His campus nickname – â€Å"The Dolphin† – was a reference both to his affable nature and his legendary ability to dive into a pool and outmaneuver the entire opposing squad in a water polo match. As Langdon sat alone, absently gazing into the darkness, the silence of his home was shattered again, this time by the ring of his fax machine. Too exhausted to be annoyed, Langdon forced a tired chuckle. God's people, he thought. Two thousand years of waiting for their Messiah, and they're still persistent as hell. Wearily, he returned his empty mug to the kitchen and walked slowly to his oak-paneled study. The incoming fax lay in the tray. Sighing, he scooped up the paper and looked at it. Instantly, a wave of nausea hit him. The image on the page was that of a human corpse. The body had been stripped naked, and its head had been twisted, facing completely backward. On the victim's chest was a terrible burn. The man had been branded†¦ imprinted with a single word. It was a word Langdon knew well. Very well. He stared at the ornate lettering in disbelief. Angels & Demons â€Å"Illuminati,† he stammered, his heart pounding. It can't be†¦ In slow motion, afraid of what he was about to witness, Langdon rotated the fax 180 degrees. He looked at the word upside down. Instantly, the breath went out of him. It was like he had been hit by a truck. Barely able to believe his eyes, he rotated the fax again, reading the brand right-side up and then upside down. â€Å"Illuminati,† he whispered. Stunned, Langdon collapsed in a chair. He sat a moment in utter bewilderment. Gradually, his eyes were drawn to the blinking red light on his fax machine. Whoever had sent this fax was still on the line†¦ waiting to talk. Langdon gazed at the blinking light a long time. Then, trembling, he picked up the receiver. 2 â€Å"Do I have your attention now?† the man's voice said when Langdon finally answered the line. â€Å"Yes, sir, you damn well do. You want to explain yourself?† â€Å"I tried to tell you before.† The voice was rigid, mechanical. â€Å"I'm a physicist. I run a research facility. We've had a murder. You saw the body.† â€Å"How did you find me?† Langdon could barely focus. His mind was racing from the image on the fax. â€Å"I already told you. The Worldwide Web. The site for your book, The Art of the Illuminati.† Langdon tried to gather his thoughts. His book was virtually unknown in mainstream literary circles, but it had developed quite a following on-line. Nonetheless, the caller's claim still made no sense. â€Å"That page has no contact information,† Langdon challenged. â€Å"I'm certain of it.† â€Å"I have people here at the lab very adept at extracting user information from the Web.† Langdon was skeptical. â€Å"Sounds like your lab knows a lot about the Web.† â€Å"We should,† the man fired back. â€Å"We invented it.† Something in the man's voice told Langdon he was not joking. â€Å"I must see you,† the caller insisted. â€Å"This is not a matter we can discuss on the phone. My lab is only an hour's flight from Boston.† Langdon stood in the dim light of his study and analyzed the fax in his hand. The image was overpowering, possibly representing the epigraphical find of the century, a decade of his research confirmed in a single symbol. â€Å"It's urgent,† the voice pressured. Langdon's eyes were locked on the brand. Illuminati, he read over and over. His work had always been based on the symbolic equivalent of fossils – ancient documents and historical hearsay – but this image before him was today. Present tense. He felt like a paleontologist coming face to face with a living dinosaur. â€Å"I've taken the liberty of sending a plane for you,† the voice said. â€Å"It will be in Boston in twenty minutes.† Langdon felt his mouth go dry. An hour's flight†¦ â€Å"Please forgive my presumption,† the voice said. â€Å"I need you here.† Langdon looked again at the fax – an ancient myth confirmed in black and white. The implications were frightening. He gazed absently through the bay window. The first hint of dawn was sifting through the birch trees in his backyard, but the view looked somehow different this morning. As an odd combination of fear and exhilaration settled over him, Langdon knew he had no choice. â€Å"You win,† he said. â€Å"Tell me where to meet the plane.† 3 Thousands of miles away, two men were meeting. The chamber was dark. Medieval. Stone. â€Å"Benvenuto,† the man in charge said. He was seated in the shadows, out of sight. â€Å"Were you successful?† â€Å"Si,† the dark figure replied. â€Å"Perfectamente.† His words were as hard as the rock walls. â€Å"And there will be no doubt who is responsible?† â€Å"None.† â€Å"Superb. Do you have what I asked for?† The killer's eyes glistened, black like oil. He produced a heavy electronic device and set it on the table. The man in the shadows seemed pleased. â€Å"You have done well.† â€Å"Serving the brotherhood is an honor,† the killer said. â€Å"Phase two begins shortly. Get some rest. Tonight we change the world.† 4 Robert Langdon's Saab 900S tore out of the Callahan Tunnel and emerged on the east side of Boston Harbor near the entrance to Logan Airport. Checking his directions Langdon found Aviation Road and turned left past the old Eastern Airlines Building. Three hundred yards down the access road a hangar loomed in the darkness. A large number 4 was painted on it. He pulled into the parking lot and got out of his car. A round-faced man in a blue flight suit emerged from behind the building. â€Å"Robert Langdon?† he called. The man's voice was friendly. He had an accent Langdon couldn't place. â€Å"That's me,† Langdon said, locking his car. â€Å"Perfect timing,† the man said. â€Å"I've just landed. Follow me, please.† As they circled the building, Langdon felt tense. He was not accustomed to cryptic phone calls and secret rendezvous with strangers. Not knowing what to expect he had donned his usual classroom attire – a pair of chinos, a turtleneck, and a Harris tweed suit jacket. As they walked, he thought about the fax in his jacket pocket, still unable to believe the image it depicted. The pilot seemed to sense Langdon's anxiety. â€Å"Flying's not a problem for you, is it, sir?† â€Å"Not at all,† Langdon replied. Branded corpses are a problem for me. Flying I can handle. The man led Langdon the length of the hangar. They rounded the corner onto the runway. Langdon stopped dead in his tracks and gaped at the aircraft parked on the tarmac. â€Å"We're riding in that?† The man grinned. â€Å"Like it?† Langdon stared a long moment. â€Å"Like it? What the hell is it?† The craft before them was enormous. It was vaguely reminiscent of the space shuttle except that the top had been shaved off, leaving it perfectly flat. Parked there on the runway, it resembled a colossal wedge. Langdon's first impression was that he must be dreaming. The vehicle looked as airworthy as a Buick. The wings were practically nonexistent – just two stubby fins on the rear of the fuselage. A pair of dorsal guiders rose out of the aft section. The rest of the plane was hull – about 200 feet from front to back – no windows, nothing but hull. â€Å"Two hundred fifty thousand kilos fully fueled,† the pilot offered, like a father bragging about his newborn. â€Å"Runs on slush hydrogen. The shell's a titanium matrix with silicon carbide fibers. She packs a 20:1 thrust/weight ratio; most jets run at 7:1. The director must be in one helluva a hurry to see you. He doesn't usually send the big boy.† â€Å"This thing flies?† Langdon said. The pilot smiled. â€Å"Oh yeah.† He led Langdon across the tarmac toward the plane. â€Å"Looks kind of startling, I know, but you better get used to it. In five years, all you'll see are these babies – HSCT's – High Speed Civil Transports. Our lab's one of the first to own one.† Must be one hell of a lab, Langdon thought. â€Å"This one's a prototype of the Boeing X-33,† the pilot continued, â€Å"but there are dozens of others – the National Aero Space Plane, the Russians have Scramjet, the Brits have HOTOL. The future's here, it's just taking some time to get to the public sector. You can kiss conventional jets good-bye.† Langdon looked up warily at the craft. â€Å"I think I'd prefer a conventional jet.† The pilot motioned up the gangplank. â€Å"This way, please, Mr. Langdon. Watch your step.† Minutes later, Langdon was seated inside the empty cabin. The pilot buckled him into the front row and disappeared toward the front of the aircraft. The cabin itself looked surprisingly like a wide-body commercial airliner. The only exception was that it had no windows, which made Langdon uneasy. He had been haunted his whole life by a mild case of claustrophobia – the vestige of a childhood incident he had never quite overcome. Langdon's aversion to closed spaces was by no means debilitating, but it had always frustrated him. It manifested itself in subtle ways. He avoided enclosed sports like racquetball or squash, and he had gladly paid a small fortune for his airy, high-ceilinged Victorian home even though economical faculty housing was readily available. Langdon had often suspected his attraction to the art world as a young boy sprang from his love of museums' wide open spaces. The engines roared to life beneath him, sending a deep shudder through the hull. Langdon swallowed hard and waited. He felt the plane start taxiing. Piped-in country music began playing quietly overhead. A phone on the wall beside him beeped twice. Langdon lifted the receiver. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Comfortable, Mr. Langdon?† â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"Just relax. We'll be there in an hour.† â€Å"And where exactly is there?† Langdon asked, realizing he had no idea where he was headed. â€Å"Geneva,† the pilot replied, revving the engines. â€Å"The lab's in Geneva.† â€Å"Geneva,† Langdon repeated, feeling a little better. â€Å"Upstate New York. I've actually got family near Seneca Lake. I wasn't aware Geneva had a physics lab.† The pilot laughed. â€Å"Not Geneva, New York, Mr. Langdon. Geneva, Switzerland.† The word took a long moment to register. â€Å"Switzerland?† Langdon felt his pulse surge. â€Å"I thought you said the lab was only an hour away!† â€Å"It is, Mr. Langdon.† The pilot chuckled. â€Å"This plane goes Mach fifteen.† 5 On a busy European street, the killer serpentined through a crowd. He was a powerful man. Dark and potent. Deceptively agile. His muscles still felt hard from the thrill of his meeting. It went well, he told himself. Although his employer had never revealed his face, the killer felt honored to be in his presence. Had it really been only fifteen days since his employer had first made contact? The killer still remembered every word of that call†¦ â€Å"My name is Janus,† the caller had said. â€Å"We are kinsmen of a sort. We share an enemy. I hear your skills are for hire.† â€Å"It depends whom you represent,† the killer replied. The caller told him. â€Å"Is this your idea of a joke?† â€Å"You have heard our name, I see,† the caller replied. â€Å"Of course. The brotherhood is legendary.† â€Å"And yet you find yourself doubting I am genuine.† â€Å"Everyone knows the brothers have faded to dust.† â€Å"A devious ploy. The most dangerous enemy is that which no one fears.† The killer was skeptical. â€Å"The brotherhood endures?† â€Å"Deeper underground than ever before. Our roots infiltrate everything you see†¦ even the sacred fortress of our most sworn enemy.† â€Å"Impossible. They are invulnerable.† â€Å"Our reach is far.† â€Å"No one's reach is that far.† â€Å"Very soon, you will believe. An irrefutable demonstration of the brotherhood's power has already transpired. A single act of treachery and proof.† â€Å"What have you done?† The caller told him. The killer's eyes went wide. â€Å"An impossible task.† The next day, newspapers around the globe carried the same headline. The killer became a believer. Now, fifteen days later, the killer's faith had solidified beyond the shadow of a doubt. The brotherhood endures, he thought. Tonight they will surface to reveal their power. As he made his way through the streets, his black eyes gleamed with foreboding. One of the most covert and feared fraternities ever to walk the earth had called on him for service. They have chosen wisely, he thought. His reputation for secrecy was exceeded only by that of his deadliness. So far, he had served them nobly. He had made his kill and delivered the item to Janus as requested. Now, it was up to Janus to use his power to ensure the item's placement. The placement†¦ The killer wondered how Janus could possibly handle such a staggering task. The man obviously had connections on the inside. The brotherhood's dominion seemed limitless. Janus, the killer thought. A code name, obviously. Was it a reference, he wondered, to the Roman two-faced god†¦ or to the moon of Saturn? Not that it made any difference. Janus wielded unfathomable power. He had proven that beyond a doubt. As the killer walked, he imagined his ancestors smiling down on him. Today he was fighting their battle, he was fighting the same enemy they had fought for ages, as far back as the eleventh century†¦ when the enemy's crusading armies had first pillaged his land, raping and killing his people, declaring them unclean, defiling their temples and gods. His ancestors had formed a small but deadly army to defend themselves. The army became famous across the land as protectors – skilled executioners who wandered the countryside slaughtering any of the enemy they could find. They were renowned not only for their brutal killings, but also for celebrating their slayings by plunging themselves into drug-induced stupors. Their drug of choice was a potent intoxicant they called hashish. As their notoriety spread, these lethal men became known by a single word – Hassassin – literally â€Å"the followers of hashish.† The name Hassassin became synonymous with death in almost every language on earth. The word was still used today, even in modern English†¦ but like the craft of killing, the word had evolved. It was now pronounced assassin.